Introducing the brain: energy requirements (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, September 01, 2020, 17:58 (1542 days ago) @ David Turell

When the brain cannot get enough glucose for energy it uses lactate. This is standard throughout the body. Astrocytes are part of the mechanism:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-09-scientists-key-neuron-function-survival.html

"Scientists studying neuronal energy metabolism found evidence that the loss of an important energy regulator called AMPK in neural stem cells or glial cells called astrocytes causes neuronal death in laboratory rodents. They also discovered that AMPK loss in neural stem cells or neurons causes spontaneous brain seizures in the animals.

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"'Very little is known about how astrocytes regulate glycolysis to generate lactate and supply it to neurons to support their metabolism and proper functioning," Dasgupta said. "We show for the first time that AMP kinase (AMPK) is the bottom line of the mechanism that controls astrocytic glycolysis and lactate production in the brain. And we show that interfering with this process does little harm to astrocytes but damages neurons."Neuronal metabolism is critical to every aspect of our lives and functioning. The question of whether glial cells like astrocytes are necessary for proper neuron metabolism and survival has been debated in the scientific field for decades."

Comment: This study simply discovers how the system works. A complex design not be chance.